THE end of the holidays means many parents will be back to creating packed lunches on school days.
Preparing food that’s nutritious, interesting and not too expensive can feel near impossible.
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Here, food blogger Caroline Job shares her top tips for scrumptious lunches that won’t break the bank . . .
COOKIE CUTTERS: Make food fun for little ones by using cookie cutters.
You can cut cucumber, cheese or sandwiches into hearts or stars. Or try chopping up bitesize fruit and add to a skewer to make a healthy kebab.
BITESIZE: Cutting things up into smaller pieces helps remove feelings of being overwhelmed, says Caroline.
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She adds: “Chop food so little ones can open up the lunchbox and tuck in.”
Lunchboxes with lots of different compartments help make this easier and mean you can easily provide variety. Aim for different colours and food groups.
DIY DUPES: You can usually make your own versions of kids’ convenience foods. For example, swap Dairylea Lunchers for mini Ritz biscuits and chopped-up cheese and ham, with some carrot and tomatoes for extra colour.
Or you can make your own oat bars by baking oats with mashed-up banana, raisins, seeds and a little honey.
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Add a little milk or water if the mixture looks dry, before baking for 15 to 20minutes.
SANDWICH SWAP: If your children are bored of sarnies, try Caroline’s recipes for mini quiches using tortilla wraps.
I’m a working mom of five – trolls say my kids’ school lunch boxes are ‘careless, lazy’ and so bad I shouldn’t procreate
You simply put together a mixture of cheese, beaten egg, cooked bacon and tomatoes inside cut-out circles of tortillas in a muffin tin.
Bake for ten to 15 minutes, at 200C, until the egg is cooked through.
PLAN: Caroline recommends having a clear idea of what you’re packing each day of the week and shop accordingly.
Use up food in date order and try to prep food the night before where possible.
See more of Caroline’s tips at lunchboxworld.co.uk.
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